Ore-separator



i I I l F 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented July 24, 1888.

ORE SEPARATOR.

A. P. GRANGER.

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

VA. P. GRANGER.

ORE SBPARATOR.

Patened July 24, 1888.

n. PETERS. mwmiampr-r. wamimon, u, c.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet- 3.

A. P. GRANGER.

ORB SEPARATOB..

No. 386,741. Patented July 24, 1888` M i m @ivan/P Granger,

Aralar Fries.

ALVAN P. GRANGER, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES L. AMES AND ABEL H. FROST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ORE-SEPARATOR.

lJRECIEICA'IIQN forming pari; of Letters Patent No. 386,741, dated July 24, 1888.

Application filed March 2, 1986. Serial No. 193.715.

YTo all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALvAN P. GRANGER, of Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore-Separators; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,

xo which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to pneumatic oreseparators; and it has among its objects to provide means in such a machine for feeding the ore upon the prccipitator or into the separatingchamber, which will not permit the air to pass with the ore at the point of its entrance to said separatiiig-chamber.

Still another object is to provide an improved construction and action on the part of 2c the precipitator upon which Ithe orc is spread and agitated and through holes in which the gangue is drawn by an ai 1'-curreut. Another object has reference to the better and more convenient inspection and control of the action of the air-current upon the ore on the precipitator.

To these and other ends, which will hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists in thc matters hereinafter set forth, and

3o pointed ont in the appended claims. A

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating one practical and desirable form of my invention, Figure l is a front side elevation of a scrial dry-ore separator. adapted for grading the ore and concentrating the several grades separately, parts being broken away for better illustration of the construction. Fig. 2 is au end view, partly in section. ot' the machine looking toward the left of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a 4o transverse vertical section on the line xx of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken above the dressing-plate and eccentric-shaft or on the line xrrof Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of a single division of the machine taken in the indirect line at' .fr of Fig. 3. Fig. (l is a fragmentary detail, of which the front section is in the line y y of Fig. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective rear view, showing the connection of the suction-fans with the housing. Fig. 8 isa broken (No model part of the feed-roller, showing a practicable arrangement of recesses therein. Fig. 9 is a frag mcntary rear elevation, broken away to reveal the recessed feedroll in place and showing other details of construction. Fig. l() is aplan view of one form of the Curbed opening of the precipitator, enlarged.

A A are frame uprights.

B B are transverse partitions.

C C are vertical walls or housings attached to the frame.

C is an inclined board, forming the bottom of a hopper, C2, from which the ore is deylivered to the concentrating devices.

Cs is an inclined board upon which falls the gangue from the concentrating devices.

C'L is another inclined board beneath the board C, and forming with the latter an inclined air-passage, C5, which is downwardly prolonged from its upper end into communication with the suction-fan D.

E is a nearly horizontal prccipitator placed between the hopper C2 and the cant-board C3.

F is a dressing plate placed over the p recipitator. 7 5

Gr is a yoke-formed lever pivotcd to the frame uprights for regulating the vertical position ofthe foot of the precipitator.

H is an inclined rotating shaft, on which are secured a succession of ore-grading tubular screens.

I I are the several screens.

J J are imperforate shells surroumling the screens.

K is the drive-shaft, located across the foot of the machine, and provided with fast and loose pulleys K ligand beveled friction-wheel K, which engages with the similar wheel, L', on the longitudinal eccentric shaft L.

M is a horizontal shaft, mounted across the 9o foot ofthe machine for rotating the screen, for which purpose it is driven by a belt, 1a, from the shaft Ii, and is provided with a pinion, m', which meshes with the wheel H on the shaft H. 95

N is a feed shaft or roll, driven by a belt, a, from the screen-shaft H at the head of the machine. rlhe fans D-one for each compartment or division ofthe machine-are mounted on a longitudinal shaft, D', and are driven by IOCI a belt or belts, d, from the eccentricshaft L. Over the inclined series of screens I I is a housing, O, and at the head of the series of screens is a feed-hopper, P, which delivers into the first screen of the series through a hollow trunnion, IP, on the end of the screen-shaft, which trunnion has lateral openings h within the said first screen of the series.

The illustrated rotary serial-screen mechanism-for sizing the ore is constructed to deliver the coarser size of ore at the head of the machine and the smaller sizes successively toward the foot of the machine. This arrangement is desirable,as favorably affecting the durability of the sizing mechanism and also as affecting advantageously the power required to run the machine. This sizing mechanism consists of a series of conical screens` I I, mounted on the same inclined shaft H,and having their larger ends toward the head of the machine. They are made of slotted metal,held concentric with the shaft H by circular end boards, h. These boards h close the lower ends of the several screens I, preventing the passage of material over their tails. External to each screen Land concentric therewith,issecured,in any suitable Way, an imperforate tubular metal shell, J, which is arranged at its foot to discharge directly into .the next screen I of the series past the margin of the adjacent board h'. At the' foot of veach screen I the latter is provided with -a series of lateral openings, h2, from which lead tubes h,through the shell J, in position to discharge the contents of the screen, from which they lead, into the subjacent hopper C2. rThe material, which passes through the slots (or other form of screeningpassages in the screen, falls upon the surrounding shells .Land passes on from saidshell,between the tubes h3,into the next screen I, the foot of each shell J being, as shown in Fig. I, arranged in line with the head of the next screen. Properly speaking, therefore, the material which rides over the screen, instead of that which passes through it, is t-hat part of the ore which each screen delivers into the hopper below. Several advantages result from this construction, among which may be mentioned that the screens which are nearest the head of the machine, and have, therefore, the heavier load to carry, and are exposed to the more severe wear, may be of heavier metal, which, however, cannot be so finely perforated as lighter metal, but which can be properly perforated coarsely for the operation above described.

No screen is present in the last compartment of the machine; but the shell J about the next preceding screen is prolonged to deliver into said last compartment or hopper. This feature is sufficientlyindicated by dotted lines in Fig. I.

Any other form of sizing mechanism,or mechanism for delivering to the several compartments of the machine, may be employed in place of the sizing-screens above described. p

The hopper-bottom board C declines from 'which form their pivots.

the front to the back of the machine, and the frame is open beneath said bottom board, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The converging walls of the hopper C, in each division of the serial machine, are only proximate, as shown in Fig. 3, and along the delivery-opening thus formed is arranged a suitable means for permitting a regular passage of ore downwardly without allowing a current of air to be created th rough the same passage by the action of the fans. (To be hereinafter described.) In the present instance such means is shown to consist of a continuous rotating feed-roll, N, which makes a closejoint withv both the edge of the board C and the terminal bar or cleat c of the outer housing, C. To effect the feeding from the hopper by this roller, the latter is made, say, one and one-half inches, more or less, in diameter, and is p'eripherally recessedf-as by holes n bored radially therein, into which the ore drops from the hopper and which discharge successively as the roll is rotated on its axis.

Beneath the feed-roller N is located the head of a precipitator, E. 'Io facilitate the rapid reciprocation or Vibration ofthis precipi'tator, in a direction from front to rear'of the machine, and at the same time to practically cut ofi" the admission of air at this point, the head of the precipitator is shown suspended from the cleat c by a' sheet of metal, e, external to the feed-roll N, so that the material delivered by the latter falls on the head of said precipitator. At its foot the precipitator is supported by a similar sheet of metal, e', fastened at its upper edge to a transverse cleat, e2, on the under side of the precipitator, and at its lower edge to a cleat or bar, e3. Said bar e3 is in length only equal to the width of one division of the machine and isvertically mov-l able to afford vertical adjustment of the foot of the precipitator. This adjustment is ef' fected at will by means of two connected levers, G--one for each side of the precipitatorpivoted to the proximate faces of the adjacent frame-upriglits A, the levers being connected in order that both of them shall move in harmony and hold the movable end of the precipitator level transversely.

As an additional improvement, the levers G are made of a single piece of flat bar-iron bent to horseshoe form, and having their curved connection directed inwardly beneath the hopper C2, so as to be out of the way of disturbance when once set, as well as in favorable position for manipulation when required to be moved. Incidentally the levers in this posiftion may balance the precipitator; but they are held sufficiently by the threaded bolts g, The free ends ofthe levers G connect by vertical rods g with opposite ends of the bar e3 and rise past the edges of the precipitator, as seen in Figs. 2, 4, and 6, so that the latter can be freely vibrated between them.

The construction of the precipitator, as here shown, and as particularly claimed as a distinct improvement, will be hereinafter described. For the purposes of these claims herein made, which do not specify the distinctly novel form of the precipitator, it is to be understood that said claims are not restricted to that form.

Over each precipitator is placed a plate, F, here called a dressing77 plate, bec'ause it is concerned in controlling the aircurrent by which the dressing ofthe ore is performed on the subjacent precipitator. This plate may be of any suitable material; but, asa separate improvement, it may consist,in part, at least, of glass, in order to afford a view of the material upon the precipitator. As here shown, it is partly of glass and partly of wood.

Fl F are opposite side bars supporting a glass portion, F2, of the dressing-plate by means of sheetmetal strips f, Figs. 5 and 6, and F3 is a wooden part of the plate at its rear margin,which connects the opposite side bars, F. At their rear ends the side bars,F, are prolonged in their upper portions, as seen atf, Figs. 3 and et, and these prolonged ends rest ou pins or other suitable supports, f2, near the point of suspension of the precipitator beneath the plate F, in order that in the adjustment of these parts at their opposite ends their movements may be made from practically coincident centers of motion. Both the precipitator and the superposed dressing plate are retained laterally in place by the frame-uprights and partitions B, the lateral space between which they loosely fill. The precipitator is, however, provided with side cleats, e, which form marginal walls therefor and which rise into rabbetsf3 in the outer and under faces ofthe bars F', as more clearly seen in Figs. 5 and 6. The front ends of each plate F are severally adjustable vertically, either with the subjacent precipitators or independently of the latter, by means of screw-threaded nutsf, Fig. 6, on the rods g and brackets f5, attached to the side bars, F', and resting ou the nuts f4. These brackets are preferably slotted or otherwise arranged to bear on the rear faces of the rods g, in order to prevent forward movement of the plates F. At their rear ends said plates F have attached to them vertical spring-plates f6, of sheet metal, the Lipper edges ot which bear against the bottom board, C', of the hopper C" in front of the feedroller N, so as to close off the ingress of air at this point.

From a point closely adjacent to the under surface of the head of each precipitator E the board Ca decli nes forwardly, reaching from one partitioirwall, B, to the opposite one, and at its lower edge said board is provided with a hinged nap-valve, e', extending, preferably, entirely across the compartment. This valve c is raised and lowered, to regulate the extent of its opening, by suitable means-as a cord, c, which passes out through a hole in the housing, and is wound up on a screw or pin, c3, to hold the valve in a required position.

Fach compartment is provided with a separate suction-fan, D, and the fansare shown to be of different capacities or powers, the stronger being located at or near the head of the machine and the weaker toward its foot. The different capacities of the fans are indicated by their ditfering widths, in dotted lines of Fig. 1. The air-passages C5, leading to the fans D,accuinulate the gangue which falls from the cant-hoard C3, until the amountovercomes the suction and forces the flap-valve 0*, in the usual manner of such devices.

Returning to the precipitator E, I remark, first, that said precipitator may, in its details and for the general purposes ofmy invention, be of different construction from that herein described-as, for example, it may be like that or those shown and described in Letters Patent No. 269,848, granted to me January 2, 1883.

The improved form and constrllction here shown are substantially as follows: In general the precipitator is a board, E, having a number of holes,e", through it,downwardly through which holes the particles of gangue are drawn from the surface ofthe mass of material on the said board. These particles of gangue are brought to the surface of the ore mass on the board by a rapid reciprocation of the latter, by short strokes, in its own plane. This reciprocation is effected by means of a shortthrow eccentric on the shaft L, preferably opposite the middle of each board, and a suitable eccentric-strap or its equivalent, Z, which communicates the throw of the eccentric to the board E. The holes e are more numerous in the board at the head than in that at the foot of the machine, and their number is graduated in these and the intermediate boards proportionately to the relative force or quantity of air required to accomplish the work of dressing. Each hole e is surrounded by a curb, el, which projects a short distance above the surface ofthe board, and as a further improvement said curbs are oblong and diamond shaped in plan view, as seen in Figs. 4 and l0, to facilitate the passage of the ore about them. The construction adopted as most convenient is to make the holes themselves diamondshaped and to force two bent plates, e7, into the holes to form the said curbs and side walls thereof. These apertures c are also desirably arranged in alternation with each other to afford the largest possible room for the passage of the ore between the curbs thereof, as seen in Fig. 4.

ln the construction here shown, the board E (say, three feet and six inches or four feet long from head to foot, and twenty to twenty-two inches wide) has a plain, fiat, unapertured part, e5, atits head end extending a distance of, say, twelve inches. The apertured part e9 comes next, extending, say, twelve or fifteen inches. Next follows an unapertured portion.

ew, which has a transverse depression presenting,rst,alongitudinal declivity,e,extending, say, three inches, and dropping the surface of IOO IIO

ISO

the board about an eighth or three-sixteenths of an inch at its lowest point. From this lowest point the surface rises longitudinally to about its original plane by an ascent extending, say, fifteen or sixteen inches. The object of the depression mentioned is to provide for the accumulation of a mineral bed, over or upon which the airdressing is ei'ected. Thev declivity for said bed may, ifdesired, extend above the lower line of curbed apertures e or as far back toward the rear end of the precipitator as may be thought best. The entire surface of the board E is desirably covered with a coat of corundum--secured by 'means of shellac or otherwise-for the purpose of giving a durable rough surface, which facilitates precipitation. The board or precipitator is slightly and adjustably inclined downwardly from head to foot, so that in the constant vibration of the board the ore slowly passes forward thereon. The ore received at the head of the precipitator is. by the shaking action, uniformly spread or distributed upon the plain or` unapertured part es of the board and, owing to the same fact, of shaking, the precipitation ofthe mineral to the bottom, and ascent of the gangue to or toward the surface of t-he mass at once begins and continues during the pas-v sage of the ore over the board. The air drawn inward by the suction-fan D finds ingress to the space between the precipitator and the dressinglplate F only at lthe foot of the precipitator, and it consequently passes up along the surface of the ore on the board E till it reaches the holes e, through which it passes downwardly to the fan. In this moveineutof the air over the precipitator it picks up the particles of gangue, which have risen tothe surface of the mass of ore thereon,and removes them through the holes e, whence they fall upon the inclined board C3 and move with the air-current through the adjusted valve c. Beyond this valve the airis deflected backwardly and upwardly through thepassage C5,thelower cud of which is purposely made wider, as shown, in order to lessen the suspensive force of the air-current at this point,and thereby to release the gangue which finds escape through the valve c4. l

In the operation of the mineral. bed formed in the depression of the precipitator the dressing action is performed exclusively upon the surface ofthe niass,the ganguebeing withdrawn from the top, as described,and the mineral being delivered over the foot of the board into any suitable receptacle. (Not shown.) In this forward movement of the mineral the bed is being constantly changed and lrenewed and never becomes exhausted or impaired.

The inclination of the precipitator will be generally or invariably greater than the acclivity leading from the depression to the foot l of the board,iu order that the desired forward movement of the ore and mineral may take place in opposition to the force of the oppositely-moving air-current. The force of the air-draft will be ofitself adjusted by the valve c; but with a given air-draft the movement of the ore -upon the precipitatorwillbe regulated by adjustment of the inclination of the latter. The dressing'plate will commonly stand at its lower end about seven-eighths of an inch from the surface ofthe precipitator; but at the head of the precipitator it will usually stand about iive sixteenths of an inch distant therefrom. The transparent part of the dressing-plate enables the operator to watch the action going on upon the precipitator,and thereby to avoid loss of mineral by too great tension of the aircurrent.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, in a pneumatic ore-sep arator, of a vibratory precipitator having curbed apertures, a plate supported at a dis tance above said precipitator, affording an air-space between them, a suction-fau in comniunication with said air-space through the apertures of the precipitator, a feed-passage for the ore leading from the hopper-opening to the space between the precipitator and the superposed plate, and a feed-regulating roller preventing tree passage of air while permitting the passage of the material being fed, substantially as described.

2. A vibratory precipitator having apertures provided with curbs which project above Vthe upper surface of the board, and having a depression or depressions in its surface for the formation of a mineral bed thereon, substantially as described.

3. The combination of an apertured, iuclined, and reciprocating precipitator having its angle of inclination adjustable about an axis at its head, a dressing-plate arranged over theprecipitator and also adjustable as to its inclination aboutan` axis which is near that of the precipitator, and a suction-fan in communication with the space'between the precipitator and the dressing-plate through the apertures in the precipitator, substantiallyas described.

4. The combination, in a pneumatic ore-separator, of an inclined reciprocating precipitator provided with Curbed apertures and a depression for the formationof a mineral bed, a dressing-plate supported above the precipi tator, and a suction-fan communicating with the space between the precipitator and the superposed plate through the apertures in the precipitator, substantially as described.

5. A precipitator for ore-separators provided with apertures having curbs which entirely surround said apertures and which converge at acute angles at their ends and have their greater length in the direction in which the material to be' separated moves over the precipitator,substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a precipitator of an ore-separator, a su perposed dressing-plate, and a transverse vertically-movable bar and iiexible plate supporting the foot of the precipitator, of a lever connected with the transcommunicating at its upper end with the suctioufan, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with a frame, a supplyhopper, and a precipitator beneath the hopper, an open space being provided within the frame between the hopper and precipitator, of a transparent dressing-plate over the precipitator, and adjusting devices for the precipitator at said open side of the machine, whereby the effects of adjustment may be conveniently observed while such adjustmentis being performed, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALVAN P. GRANGER.

Vituesses:

M. E. DAYTON, C. CLARENCE PooLE. 

